Texas Electric Choices

Energy Saving Tips

Tips For Your Climate

Appliances & Electronics
- Buying Efficient Products
- Estimating Energy Use
- Turning Off Computers

Electricity
- Reducing Electricity Use
- Buying Clean Electricity
- Making Clean Electricity
- Reading Electric Meters

Insulation & Air Sealing
- Weather-stripping & Caulking
- Insulation
- Controlling Moisture
- Ventilation

Lighting & Day Lighting
- Artificial Lighting
- Types of Lighting
- Turning Off Lights
- Natural Lighting

Windows, Doors & Skylights
- Energy Performance Ratings
- Selecting Windows
- Selecting Exterior Doors
- Selecting Skylights

Design & Remodeling
- Passive Solar
- Whole-House Design
- Zero-Energy Homes
- Log Homes
- Manufactured Homes
- Earth-Sheltered Homes
- Financing an Efficient Home

Heating & Cooling
- Selecting & Replacing Your System
- Cooling Systems
- Heating Systems
- Heat Pumps
- Thermostats, Ducts, & Meters

Landscaping
- For Your Climate
- For Your Microclimate
- Shading
- Using Windbreaks
- Conserving Water & Xeriscaping

Water Heating
- Selecting a Water Heater
- Solar Water Heaters
- Demand (Tankless) Water Heaters
- Reducing Water Heating Bills
- Swimming Pool Heating

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- Energy Savers Blog
- Facebook

Landscaping and Your Regional Climate
The energy-conserving landscape strategies you use should depend on which region you live in.

The United States can be divided into four approximate climatic regions: temperate, hot-arid, hot-humid, and cool. See the map to find your climatic region. Below you'll find landscaping strategies listed by region and in order of importance.

Temperate Region
• Maximize warming effects of the sun in the winter.
• Maximize shade during the summer.
• Deflect winter winds away from buildings.
• Funnel summer breezes toward the home.

Hot-Arid Region
• Provide shade to cool roofs, walls, and windows.
• Allow summer winds to access naturally cooled homes.
• Block or deflect winds away from air-conditioned homes.

Hot-Humid Region
• Channel summer breezes toward the home.
• Maximize summer shade with trees that still allow penetration of low-angle winter sun.
• Avoid locating planting beds close to the home if they require frequent watering.

Cool Region
• Use dense windbreaks to protect the home from cold winter winds.
• Allow the winter sun to reach south-facing windows.
• Shade south and west windows and walls from the direct summer sun, if summer overheating is a problem.

It's also important to consider your home's microclimate in your landscaping strategy.

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